Positioning method and communication apparatus

Abstract

This application discloses positioning methods and communication apparatuses, and relates to the field of communication technologies. In one example, a method applied to a positioning terminal includes receiving a first message from a network device, wherein the first message comprises clock synchronization information and access network resource allocation information; sending access request information to the network device based on the first message; receiving positioning resource allocation information from the network device, wherein the positioning resource allocation information is determined after the network device receives the access request information sent by the positioning terminal and sends the access request information to a location management function (LMF); determining a positioning pulse based on the positioning resource allocation information; and sending the positioning pulse to one of three or more network devices in a range of a neighborhood of the positioning terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, applied to a positioning terminal, comprising:
 receiving a first message from a network device, wherein the first message comprises clock synchronization information and access network resource allocation information;   sending access request information to the network device based on the first message;   receiving positioning resource allocation information from the network device, wherein the positioning resource allocation information is determined after the network device receives the access request information sent by the positioning terminal and sends the access request information to a location management function (LMF);   determining a positioning pulse based on the positioning resource allocation information; and   sending the positioning pulse to one of three or more network devices in a range of a neighborhood of the positioning terminal;   wherein the positioning resource allocation information carries a positioning symbol resource allocated by the LMF to the positioning terminal, and the positioning symbol resource comprises a positioning symbol location number and a positioning pulse sending periodicity;   wherein the positioning symbol location number indicates a resource location at which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse; and   wherein the positioning pulse sending periodicity indicates a periodicity in which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first message further comprises session reconfiguration flag information; and
 the session reconfiguration flag information is used to resend the access request information in response to determining that the positioning resource allocation information changes.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the access network resource allocation information comprises an access location number, an access periodicity, and an access location interval periodicity;
 the access location number indicates a symbol resource used by the positioning terminal to access a network;   the access periodicity indicates interval time needed for the positioning terminal to reaccess the network after the positioning terminal fails to access the network; and   the access location interval periodicity indicates an interval periodicity in which the positioning terminal performs access at different access location numbers.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after the determining a positioning pulse based on the positioning resource allocation information, the method further comprises:
 starting a timer; and   sending the positioning pulse based on the positioning pulse sending periodicity.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a time interval between receiving the first message and sending the positioning pulse; and   in response to determining that the time interval is greater than a preset time threshold, entering, by the positioning terminal, a dormant state; or   in response to determining that the time interval is less than or equal to a preset time threshold, sending, by the positioning terminal, the positioning pulse.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the positioning terminal re-receives the positioning resource allocation information in at least one of the following cases:
 the positioning terminal initially accesses a network; and   the positioning terminal moves to a management area of another LMF.   
     
     
         7 . A method, applied to a location management function (LMF), comprising:
 receiving access request information from a network device, wherein the access request information is sent by a positioning terminal after the positioning terminal receives a first message from the network device, and the first message comprises clock synchronization information and access network resource allocation information;   determining, based on the access request information, positioning resource allocation information needed for the positioning terminal;   sending the positioning resource allocation information to the network device, to enable the network device to send the positioning resource allocation information to the positioning terminal, so that after the positioning terminal determines a positioning pulse based on the positioning resource allocation information, the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse to one of three or more network devices in a range of a neighborhood of the positioning terminal;   receiving time of arrival (TOA) sent by the network device in the range of the neighborhood of the positioning terminal, wherein the TOA is determined after the network device in the range of the neighborhood of the positioning terminal receives the positioning pulse; and   determining location information of the positioning terminal based on the TOA;   wherein the positioning resource allocation information carries a positioning symbol resource allocated by the LMF to the positioning terminal, and the positioning symbol resource comprises a positioning symbol location number and a positioning pulse sending periodicity;   wherein the positioning symbol location number indicates a resource location at which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse; and   wherein the positioning pulse sending periodicity indicates a periodicity in which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein after the sending the positioning resource allocation information to the network device, the method further comprises:
 setting the positioning symbol resource to be in an allocated state.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 starting a timer; and   in response to determining that the TOA sent by the network device in the range of the neighborhood of the positioning terminal is not received when the timer expires, releasing the positioning symbol resource.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the first message further comprises session reconfiguration flag information; and
 the session reconfiguration flag information is used to resend the access request information in response to that the positioning resource allocation information changes.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the access network resource allocation information comprises an access location number, an access periodicity, and an access location interval periodicity;
 the access location number indicates a symbol resource used by the positioning terminal to access a network;   the access periodicity indicates interval time needed for the positioning terminal to reaccess the network after the positioning terminal fails to access the network; and   the access location interval periodicity indicates an interval periodicity in which the positioning terminal performs access at different access location numbers.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus, comprising a transceiver, at least one processor, and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory stores programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first message from a network device, wherein the first message comprises clock synchronization information and access network resource allocation information;   sending access request information to the network device based on the first message;   receiving positioning resource allocation information from the network device, wherein the positioning resource allocation information is determined after the network device receives the access request information sent by a positioning terminal and sends the access request information to a location management function (LMF);   determining a positioning pulse based on the positioning resource allocation information; and   sending the positioning pulse to one of three or more network devices in a range of a neighborhood of the positioning terminal;   wherein the positioning resource allocation information carries a positioning symbol resource allocated by the LMF to the positioning terminal, and the positioning symbol resource comprises a positioning symbol location number and a positioning pulse sending periodicity;   the positioning symbol location number indicates a resource location at which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse; and   the positioning pulse sending periodicity indicates a periodicity in which the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first message further comprises session reconfiguration flag information; and
 the session reconfiguration flag information is used to resend the access request information in response to determining that the positioning resource allocation information changes.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the access network resource allocation information comprises an access location number, an access periodicity, and an access location interval periodicity;
 the access location number indicates a symbol resource used by the positioning terminal to access a network;   the access periodicity indicates interval time needed for the positioning terminal to reaccess the network after the positioning terminal fails to access the network; and   the access location interval periodicity indicates an interval periodicity in which the positioning terminal performs access at different access location numbers.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 sending the positioning pulse based on the positioning pulse sending periodicity.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a time interval between receiving the first message and sending the positioning pulse, wherein   in response to determining that the time interval is greater than a preset time threshold, the positioning terminal enters a dormant state; or   in response to determining that the time interval is less than or equal to a preset time threshold, the positioning terminal sends the positioning pulse.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the positioning terminal re-receives the positioning resource allocation information in at least one of the following cases:
 the positioning terminal initially accesses a network; and   the positioning terminal moves to a management area of another LMF.